Degrees for Education

Master of Science Dothan Montgomery Phenix City Troy
Trad Alt A Trad Alt A Trad Alt A Trad Alt A
Early Childhood Education (P-3) X X
Elementary Education (K-6) X X X X X X X
Collaborative Teacher (K-6) X X
Secondary Education (6-12)
Biology X X X X
History X
X X
X
English/Language Arts X X X X
General Science X X X X
Mathematics X X X X
Social Science X X X X
Interdisciplinary Education (P-12)
Art X X
Gifted Education X
Music Instrumental X X
Music Choral X X
Physical Education X X
Reading Specialist X
Instructional Support Programs (P-12)
School Counseling X X X X
School Psychometry X X
Education Specialist
Early Childhood Education (P-3) X
Elementary Education (K-6) X X
Instructional Support Programs (P-12)
Educational Administration X X
School Counseling X X X
School Psychology X

Literacy, Language, and Culture (LLC): Program Overview

How do students make sense of the texts they encounter in school?

How do community practices influence sense-making?

How can teachers best foster students’ communication of their ideas?

What happens when these processes do not work smoothly?

Faculty and students affiliated with the Literacy, Language, and Culture (LLC) area are exploring questions like these in their efforts to foster the success of children and adolescents, both at home and in the community. The LLC unit is focused particularly on issues of language and literacy learning, both typical and atypical, in school and community settings. We approach these issues from a range of perspectives, including sociocultural, cognitive, and developmental theories and methods. Students are encouraged to develop familiarity with a range of perspectives and issues, but to develop a particular specialization.

Examples of current projects include:
Analysis of parents’ interactions with their children during joint storybook reading in a range of ethnic communities
Evaluation of the role of children’s awareness of morphological subunits within words in their higher-level word recognition skills
Development of instructional support for text-rich experiences in project-based science lessons
Analysis of non-academic texts used by urban teens to communicate and establish multiple identities
Studying the discourse of classroom instruction and professional development to understand how to provide more opportune classroom learning conditions.
Evaluation of the influence of centralized policy decisions on literacy instruction and children’s learning

The School of Education offers Literacy, Language, and Culture degrees at both the Master’s and Doctoral levels.

This degree specialization is housed within the Educational Studies program, which fosters links among students and faculty in a number of specializations sharing a commitment to the integration of theory and research on teaching, learning, and educational access in P-12 settings.

Special note about Early Childhood Education
Several faculty members in the Literacy, Language, and Culture area have strong research programs related to early literacy practices and policies and are prepared to support the academic program of students who wish to focus on Early Childhood issues related to language and literacy. Students interested in specializing in a particular age range such as early childhood may do so by working with their advisor to choose electives, internship experiences, and research experiences that are consistent with this specialization.

This program is designed to prepare students to work as paraeducators
in public school districts under the direction of certified classroom
educators. Paraeducators who have taken the courses listed below assist
classroom teachers by providing instructional support to students
receiving specialized services (Title I and/or special education) in K-12
classrooms. Students desiring to transfer some of the courses to a fouryear
degree should plan carefully and consult with an academic advisor.
For students enrolled in the associate degree program, special arrangements
have been made with Utah State University to allow students to
transfer the PED core courses as an emphasis area in either elementary
or special education. Students planning on transferring to Utah State
University (or other higher education institutions) should consult with
an advisor to determine appropriate elective and General Education
course work.
Students who do not desire to transfer and/or obtain an associate degree
can obtain a certificate of completion through Continuing Education.
To obtain the certificate, students will be required to complete the core
courses with a grade of C or better. All students desiring to obtain a
certificate of completion should contact the number above prior to enrollment.
This program qualifies for requirements of the Federal “No Child Left
Behind” Act.

The educational psychology program seeks to expand and apply knowledge of human behavior in diverse educational settings. It is concerned with cognitive, affective, developmental, social, and motivational aspects of learning and instructional processes, as well as with educational equity and assessment. Applications include the development and evaluation of teaching, learning, and assessment procedures; research on the effects of educational settings; the use of technologies; and the development of curriculum materials. Applications are also found in the formulation and testing of processes to assist individuals’ educational, career, and personal development.

Graduates of our programs work in a variety of different environments ranging from professorial appointments in colleges and universities (generally in education, psychology or the health-related professions) to classroom and resource-room teachers in public schools. Our graduates also work in government agencies, in private research and development organizations, as consultants to business and industry, and in various roles within public schools (e.g., classroom teachers, directors of research or test development, instructional support and/or supervision).Educational Psychology at a glance:
Application deadline: Rolling admissions
Degree granted: M.A. and Ph.D.
Typical Careers: Schools and clinics (school systems, hospitals, clinics, universities, and colleges)

Both the M.A. and Ph.D. programs are designed to encompass the field of educational psychology but allow appropriate research concentration at the doctoral level. The M.A. program provides an introduction to the areas of learning, development, assessment, research methods, and technology in education. It requires 30 credit hours of study, including a thesis, and can usually be completed in two semesters of full-time study and a summer, or equivalent part-time study.

Building on the comprehensive base of the M.A. degree, the Ph.D. program continues broad coverage of the field while enabling students to pursue individualized programs that encompass the areas of:
learning and development and their application to instruction
learning, technology and computers
research methods, measurement, and statistics

The Ph.D. in educational psychology has a strong research and theoretical orientation, tempered by the testing of ideas in applied research settings. Students are required to study full time for at least one year during their approximately three years of course work beyond the master’s. A minimum of 48 credit hours of courses and seminars, plus 12 credits of dissertation research, is required.

For further information, contact Professor Jeremy Finn, Program Director for the 2006-2007 academic year, via e-mail: finn@buffalo.edu.